apples

With a heat wave that blanketed the region in the past few weeks followed by torrential rain over the weekend, local crops don’t seem worse for the wear. The real damage came in April. As WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne reports, farmers in the region are hoping for good weather on weekends when the Hudson Valley is hopping with farm-going tourists.

Today we’re going to explore the world of hard ciders with three regional distillers. From the tart and tangy, to the sweet and crisp, this refreshing effervescent beverage is the perfect way to whet your whistle on a hot summer’s day. Jason Grizzanti is co-owner and Master Distiller of Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery located in Warwick, NY. Casey Vitti is co-founder and cellar master at Awestruck Ciders in Walton, NY.

The official names of the varieties previously known as "New York 1" and "New York 2" were announced Thursday afternoon by New York Apple Growers.

SnapDragon is described as crisp and juicy like its parent, the popular Honeycrisp. Cornell says RubyFrost will be popular with fans of Empire and Granny Smith.

Cornell's apple-breeding program has taken a new approach to commercializing the new varieties. Instead of publicly releasing them to all growers, Cornell has forged a licensing agreement with a new industry group, New York Apple Growers.

If you are hoping to go apple picking this fall, you may want to call ahead to make sure your favorite orchard is open.

As reported by the Times Union, some capital region orchards will not be open to those looking for ‘pick-your-own’ this year due to heavily reduced crop yields following unseasonable weather over the last six months.